Latent Space AI Google Tests AI Recap Panels Embedded in News Reports
Dec 12, 2025
Google is testing AI-powered recap panels to condense news stories, saving users time but raising concerns among journalists about reduced emphasis on in-depth analysis. The tech giant's strategy aims to engage audiences while possibly lowering article click-through rates. As publishers face declining traffic, many may accept payments from Google to offset losses. The discussion also touches on Google’s growing role as an information aggregator and how competition with AI features like ChatGPT influences its decisions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Overviews Could Reduce Article Clicks
- Google is testing AI article overviews that give readers context before they click into full stories.
- Jaeden Schafer warns this could reduce clicks and change how readers value long-form journalism.
Major International Publishers Are Participating
- Jaeden lists participating publishers including Der Spiegel, El País, The Guardian, Times of India, Washington Examiner, and Washington Post.
- He highlights that these are major outlets across many countries opting into the program.
Google Payments May Create Dependency
- Google will pay participating publishers to offset potential traffic losses from summarized content.
- Jaeden points out payments could centralize publisher income under Google's control and create dependency.